Bending lost, restored, and something gained
by cookiesandcream69
Summary: No one could possibly understand the pain she felt. Her bending was torn away from her at the hands of a monster. She was all alone.
1. Lost

Korra ignored everyone. She kept her eyes on the floor. She brushed past Tenzin, her parents, didn't even glance at Mako as he tried to grab her shoulder. She just sulked out the door, closing it before anyone could follow her out.  
How dare they try to comfort her. They don't understand. Not Mako. Not Tenzin. Not Asami. Not even Lin could understand how she felt right now.  
Mako didn't have his bending torn away from him. Tenzin didn't lose his bending. Asami wasn't even a bender. Lin was only an earthbender. None of them could even possibly imagine the kind of pain she felt right now.  
She's the Avatar.

_Was_ the Avatar.

She was supposed to master all four elements and bring balance to the world. Everyone was counting on her. But all she did was lose three elements and gained one. She's pathetic. A disgrace to all of the Avatars before her.  
She watched her tear drop plummet to the icy ground far below her.

Maybe she should follow that tear drop. She'd be doing a favor to the world.

Without the other three elements, she's nothing. Her sole purpose in life was to be a great Avatar. That's the only reason why she was born. She could just end it all right now and let the cycle continue with the next Avatar. A bender within the Earth Kingdom. They could fix her mistakes. They could regain the Avatar's honor.

She failed the world.

She failed herself.

No one understood.

She was all alone.

That was the last thought that passed through her mind before she stepped over the edge of the cliff.

"_KORRA_!" Was what she heard before she blacked out as she hit the ground.

…

_It was dark. She couldn't see anything._

_It was silent. She couldn't hear anything._

…

"_Mama..." A small voice said before everything turned white._

"_What is it little one?" Another voice said before everything focused. _

_A small girl with three wolf tails looked up to an older woman with two braids._

"_Why does everyone treat me different?" The little girl asked, looking up to the older woman with big shining blue eyes. The woman knelt down to the younger girl's height._

"_What do you mean, my little polarbear puppy?" The woman asked._

"_Everyone treats me different." The girl said. "The grown ups whisper when ever I'm around, and the other kids don't wanna play with me." the older woman looked at the girl with soft, pastel blue eyes._

"_They treat you differently because you're the Avatar." The woman said softly._

"_Sometimes, I wish I wasn't the Avatar." The little girl murmured._

"_But I thought you loved being the Avatar." The woman exclaimed. "What was it you said? 'I'm the Avatar and...'" She asked._

"_'And you gotta deal with it.'" The girl said. "I do love being the Avatar. But..." She trailed off._

"_But?" The woman asked._

"_But everyone treats me differently." The girl said, tears spilling out of her big eyes. The woman gathered the girl in her arms in a loving and comforting hug._

"_They just don't know what to say..." She said quietly, letting the girl cry in her arms._

…

"_You can't do this!" A woman cried._

"_I wont let you!" A man yelled._

"_I'm sorry, but this is just how it has to be." Another man with a beard said._

"_You can't just take her away from us! We're her parents! She needs us!" The woman yelled out._

"_What she needs is to focus on her training!" The man with the beard yelled back._

_A girl a bit older than before walked into the room, her hair grown longer. "Mommy? Daddy? What's going on?" She asked. The man and woman walked over to the girl, kneeling down and hugging her._

"_We're just having a disagreement with this man here." The man said comfortingly before standing back up and walking back to the man with the beard._

"_We can't have her being distracted like this. She's the Avatar and she has a responsibility to the world." The man with the beard said._

"_She's also our little girl, and if you take her away, how is she supposed to develop properly with out her parents?" The man said. _

"_What are you talking about?" The girl said, looking up at her parents with tear filled eyes._

"_She's the Avatar first, daughter second. We will do everything we can to make sure she develops properly both as the Avatar, and a girl." The man with the bread said, brushing off what the the girl just asked._

"_This isn't fair to her, or to us! She wont develop properly if she's surrounded by strangers!" The woman cried._

"_She will have her bending teachers. That includes Katara. We know they have a special bond." The man with the beard said before grabbing the girl's hand, then walking towards the door._

"_Can't she at least pack some of her things?" The woman asked._

"_She doesn't need distractions. Things from her home will only distract her. She will be provided with everything she needs at the compound." the man with the beard said, dragging the girl along side him._

"_I don't wanna leave! I don't wanna leave! I wanna stay here with my mommy and daddy!" The girl cried loudly trying to break free of the bearded man's grip. He just tugged her along. The girl looked back at the man and woman with tears streaming down her face._

"_Mommy! Daddy! Please don't let him take me away!" She cried even louder. The bearded man dragged her out of the house and closed the door behind them._

"_MOMMY! DADDY!" _

…

_She remembered when she first saw the tall beautiful brunette. Her friend introduced the beautiful woman to his brother and her at the gala. She immediately didn't like her. She didn't like the way she hung onto his arm. She didn't like how affectionate they were acting. _

_At first she thought she was jealous of the beautiful woman for stealing her crush._

_But then she got to know the beautiful woman._

_At first it annoyed her how the beautiful woman would show up to their practices unannounced, and he would get distracted. The beautiful woman would have all of his attention._

_But after a while, it didn't bother her._

_She looked foreword to the beautiful woman visiting them at practice._

_She would try to show off for the beautiful woman, and butterflies would form in her stomach when ever the beautiful woman would giggle when she watched her mess up, and say she did that on purpose._

_She looked for the beautiful woman in the crowd at the arena before she had to go up on the platform. She would wave to her when she caught the beautiful woman's eye. After matches, she and the beautiful woman would hang out together around town when the boys were swarmed by fan girls. She liked bonding with the beautiful woman. _

_Then she felt confused._

_Why did she get butterflies in her stomach when she was around the beautiful woman? Why did her heart beat faster when ever the beautiful woman smile? Why did she feel like she had to do stupid things just to hear the beautiful woman laugh? Why was she so captivated by this beautiful woman?_

_It all made sense after that time on the race track when they raced together._

_She was in love with the beautiful woman._

…

_She was terrified._

_She was terrified of the man with the mask._

_She hated his eyes._

_She hated the way they bore into her, as if looking into her very soul._

_She would never forget they way his eyes looked at her after she failed to beat him when she challenged him._

_She would never forget the way his eyes mocked her as they followed her down that snowy hill._

_Even when she figured out who the man with the mask really was, she was still terrified._

_She was terrified for her friends and her self proclaimed adopted family. She was scared for their safety._

_Even though she was still terrified of the man with the mask, she vowed that she would beat him, and her friends, family, and the world would be safe._

_She would restore balance to the world._

…

_Her world shattered apart._

_Tears escaped her wide eyes that looked up past his thumb, past his arm, and into his mocking eyes behind the mask._

_She could feel her spirit breaking as he removed his hand._

_And when he walked over to her friend, she lost it._

_She was surprised when the man with the mask flew down the hall. She looked to her hand in disbelief. _

_She broke out of his bloodbending spell as she kicked and punched, sending air flying at the man with the mask. She didn't stop until he broke through the window and fell into the water._

_She fell exhausted into her friend's arms as the man with the mask fled in a tunnel of water._

…

_Everything was white again._

_She looked around and saw nothing._

_She was all alone._

"_You're not alone." A deep voice said._

_She turned around and gaped as she stared at the man._

"_What... What are you doing here?" She asked him. "Why are you choosing now to show up and talk to me?" _

"_It's when we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." He said, before putting one hand on her shoulder, and a thumb on her forehead. _

_What she felt was... Different. It wasn't like any feeling she felt before. It felt as though something inside of her was being mended back together._

_When she opened up here eyes, she saw all of them. All of the previous Avatars. Their eyes glowed before they disappeared, and she felt them within herself. She felt their power. It was exhilarating._

_Then she felt immense pain._

_Then everything turned black._


	2. Restored

Her head hurt. Her head hurt along with her ribs and left arm. Her right ankle was throbbing too.

She groaned as she opened her eyes and was blinded by the light coming in through the window next to her. She brought her good arm up and shielded the light from her eyes as she sat up.

Bad idea.

It hurt. A lot.

She heard a gasp, and looked to the where the sound came from, but all she saw was a blur of black and red before she felt arms wrap tightly around her torso.

"Owww, ow ow ow." Korra gasped in pain. The black mess of hair let her go and leaned back. It was Asami.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried, tears filling up her soft green eyes.

"It's fine." Korra said. "What happened?" She asked the taller girl. The tears spilled out of Asami's eyes and she began sobbing.

"Hey! Hey, hey, don't cry!" Korra said urgently. "Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" She asked the sobbing girl, concern filling her voice.

"Idiot!" Asami yelled. "You idiot! Here you are, just waking up from a coma after trying to kill yourself! You were really hurt Korra! Well, you're still hurt, but you were really really hurt before! If it wasn't for Katara, you wouldn't be here right now! You would be dead if I didn't reach you in time after you stepped off of that cliff, and you're asking if _I'm hurt_?" She sobbed.

Korra stared at Asami, shocked. She then looked down at herself, seeing bandages wrapped around her torso, and her left arm in a splint. She felt her head, and sure enough, there were bandages wrapped around there too. She turned back to the sobbing girl and gently wrapped her good arm around her in a hug, letting Asami hold onto her and sob into he neck and shoulder.

"Hey, it's fine. I'm fine. No need to cry anymore." She said softly. Asami lifted her head and looked Korra in the eyes, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"What would possess you to try and kill yourself?" She asked, bewildered. At that question, Korra looked away, ashamed.

"I felt alone..." She muttered. "No one could even begin to understand how I felt when Katara couldn't restore my bending." She said. Asami looked at Korra in sympathy.

"Korra..." She whispered. "No." Korra said with much force.

"Don't say you understand what it's like to not to be able to bend. I know you understand that, but you don't understand what it's like to have your bending taken away. And not just one element, but three." She said angrily. "I was supposed to be the Avatar. I was supposed to restore balance to the world. And I failed! I failed at my only purpose in this world!" Korra cried, tears threatening to fall from her cobalt eyes. Asami sighed, and gathered the Water Tribe girl in her arms again, minding her injuries.

"Korra, that wasn't your only purpose. You have many more." She said gently.

"Like what?" Korra asked in a broken voice.

"How about being my best friend?" The taller girl asked. "Mako's and Bolin's friend. Being an older sister for the airbending kids, a surrogate daughter for Tenzin and Pema, a daughter for your parents." She listed off. "Everyone was so worried about you when I carried your broken body and cried for Katara to heal you." She explained. "Your parents were heart broken, and everyone was crying, even Mako, when we thought you were going to die. I don't think anyone could imagine a world with out you." Asami said softly into Korra's ear.

"Asami~!" Korra sobbed. She held onto the heiress as if her life depended on it, and cried her heart out. Asami just sat there, holding Korra, and cooed quietly into the sobbing girls ear while rubbing her back. They sat there for a while, before Korra fell asleep, exhausted from crying. Asami laid the shorter girl down and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, brushing some hair out of the girl's face, and tucking it behind her ear. She let her hand linger on the girl's tear stained cheek before reaching for her hand and holding it while she slept.

"You have no idea how empty my life would be if I lost you." Asami whispered before bringing the other girl's hand up and kissed her knuckles.


	3. Something more gained

_Those eyes._

_Those eyes that mock me, laughing at me behind that mask._

_I can't move. Please, let me go. Let me go!_

_"Prepare to be equalized."  
_

_NO!  
_

"Korra! Wake up!"

She sat up quickly, ignoring the pain that shot through her body. Breathing heavily, she looked towards the voice that woke her.

"Amon... He... He took away my bending." Shaking, she wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

"It was just a nightmare." Jade eyes softened. "Aang restored your bending, remember?" Smiling slightly, she wrapped her arms around the shaking girl, trying to calm her.

"It's time for breakfast, do you want to go?" Asami asked. Korra gave a halfhearted nod, and started to stand up, with the taller girl's help. With the Avatar leaning heavily on Asami, they both slowly made their way to the dining hall.

…

_* clank * * clank *_

That's all that could be heard at the table. Along with the occasional sip of someone drinking their tea. No one spoke.

* _clank * * sip * * clank *_

Standing up, Mako muttered an "_I'm done. Excuse me._" and sulked out of the dining hall with his dishes, avoiding looking at Korra. Bolin soon followed his brother throwing a quick "_Thanks_" and "_It was delicious._" to Pema.

_* clank * * clank *_

"Excuse me." Korra whispered while standing up, a bit shaky.

"You hardly touched your food, dear." Pema pointed out, concerned for the Avatar.

"I just don't have much of an appetite." Faking a smile, and tried to pick up her dishes with her non-broken hand. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to Asami who gave a small smile.

"I'll take care of your dishes." Giving a small smile, Korra hobbled out of the dining hall.

…

"Korra!"

"Gaaaah!" She squealed in surprise. Turning around she saw Asami walking towards her, her beautiful long black hair swishing behind her.

"Hey Asami"

"Where are you going?" Curiosity laced her velvety voice.

"To my room." She sighed. Asami grabbed Korra's uninjured arm and dragged her in the other direction.

…

"Why~ are we outside~?" The Avatar whined, wincing as the sun hit her eyes. She hissed.

"Because ever since we came back from the South Pole, you only left your room to bathe and eat." Rolling her jade eyes, she kept a firm hold on the shorter girl's hand and kept walking.

"The sun... Is evil." Korra muttered, contempt dripping from her voice.

"Deal with it." Rolling her eyes once again, she continued to pull her friends along.

"_You _deal with it." She stuck out her tongue childishly.

"That doesn't even make sense." Korra blew a raspberry and grinned impishly once Asami looked back at her.

"We're just going for a walk." She grinned back at the other girl. "C'mon, it'll be fun." Rolling her eyes, Korra fell in step with Asami and sighed.

"Well, when you put it that way." Teasing, she bumped shoulders with the other girl, then continued the stroll.

…

Shoulders brushing and hands bumping against each other, they strolled along, neither moving away. Blue eyes flicked over to the tall brunette, watching long dark locks sway with the warm breeze. She averted her eyes when she was caught staring. She looked over again and smiled when their eyes made contact, then looked away. She thought of things to talk about, anything to get her mind off of her racing heart.

"So... Um... Pretty clouds..." Biting her lip, she scolded herself for that lame attempt.

"Yeah... Fluffy." Jade eyes flicked up to the clouds, then back down.

And the awkward silence begins.

"_Don't let the cave in get you down._"

Asami looked at the Avatar who started singing quietly.

"_Don't let the falling rocks turn your smile into a frown._"

The non bender joined in, smiling a little as their singing got louder.

"_The tunnel's as dark as bats when you need a clown, hey!_"

They started dancing a little as they walked, Korra struggling a bit with her injuries, but she was still having fun.

"_Don't let the cave in get you down Sokkaaaaa~_"

The two girls leaned against each other as they giggled uncontrollably. The Avatar was the first of the two to calm down, and began to sing another song.

" _Two lovers forbidden from one another~_"

The heiress harmonized with the injured girl.

"_A war divides their people~ and a mountain divides them apart._"

Korra wrapped her good arm around Asami's shoulder. The taller girl did the same as they continued with their song.

" _Build a path to be together~!_"

"I never did learn the next couple lines. But anyway." Asami giggled, then the two took a deep breath and belted out the last couple lines of the song.

"_SECRET TUNNEL~ SECRET TUNNEL~ THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS! SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL~ Yeah!_"

After calming down from another fit of giggles, the two women opened their eyes, and it was as if time stopped, and the world around them froze.

It looked like a scene you would see in a cliché romance movie. Their eyes met, getting lost in each others eyes. They were standing so close to each other, that there was hardly any space between them. A small breeze played with their hair. A dark lock tickled over the heiress' cheek, and the Water Tribe native slid her hand from Asami's shoulder to gently tuck the hair behind her ear, then rested against a blushing cheek. Their lips were so close as both of the girls began to lean in.

Then they hesitated.

…

Her eyes were so beautifully blue. Bluer than the sky. She was drowning in them. Oh how she loved the Avatar's cobalt hues. It was if her eyes were an oil painting. She could see every caress of the brush strokes, painted with the utter most care.

Green eyes flicked down to her lips.

Those wonderful lips, that were parted ever so slightly. She always imagined kissing the Avatar. Always wondering how those lips would taste and feel like on her own, and ghosting over her body.

She paused after leaning in just a tad, hesitating.

…

She was entranced. She was under the spell of Asami's eyes. She couldn't look away, even if she wanted to. And she didn't want to.

The way the light shone in the heiress' eyes made every speck of green come to life, and she loved it. She loved the way those eyes were always shining, with excitement, or amusement, it was endearing.

And the way those jade orbs shone with fierceness in battle. It sent shivers down her spine. They always looked so confident and smug when ever the enemy went down.

So in short, she just adored Asami's eyes to no end.

Her painted red lips. She wanted to taste those lips so bad, it ached.

"_So why am I hesitating?_" She thought, confused. "_I never hesitate about anything. I'm always so confident._" She licked her lips. "_I just want to kiss her so bad, and she's just gonna have to deal with it._"

And with that, she closed the remaining space between them, and kissed the taller girl with all of the passion vibrating in her body.

…

Their hearts were racing, beating hard against their rib cages. Their heads blurred and the knees weakened. The billowing breeze whipped their hair around them. Leaves swirled around their bodies, and the clouds drifted lazily above them.

And as the kiss drew on and on, the breeze calmed down, and the grass and leaves stilled as they parted ever so slowly.

The Avatar took a shaky step back, and the biggest of smiles adorned her face. Their hands unconsciously grabbed a hold of each other as Asami smiled softly.

Korra broke the silence with a small giggle. "You like me~" She teased.

"And you like me." Asami teased back.

"Yeah. So now that we've got that covered, I think we should be together." Hope filled blue eyes.

Humming in thought, Asami's eyes twinkled in amusement. "I'll think about it." then began walking, dragging the Avatar behind her. Said Avatar's jaw dropped as she caught up with the Sato heiress, then pouted that adorable pout of hers.

Giggling again, Asami poked Korra's cheek with her free hand. "Of course we're together now. I wouldn't have it any other way." The grin returned to the Water Tribe girl's face.

"You know, when ever I'm with you... I don't feel so alone. Especially right now." She admitted, some what bashfully. She got a smile in return. They continued their leisurely stroll in a comfortable silence, all worried and sorrows drifting away into the bay with the breeze.


End file.
